Friday, April 27, 2018

Houston, TX 77002 according to the Better Business Bureau record. Phone ID says it is in Pleasanton TX. Their phone number is 830 268-4000.

I paid $3900 in exchange for listing appointment prospects, because I wanted help in certain areas of prospecting, so I hired Real Estate Federal.

The owner called me, and he sounded legitimate, and after talking with Real Estate Federal for a while, it seemed genuine. April 8th 2017 I signed an agreement with Real Estate Federal after I looked online, and there were no complaints. Back then, I could not see the more recent posts on the Better Business Bureau about stealing money from Quintella G. on 2/25/2018, so, I trusted Real Estate Federal and signed a contract that included a money back guarantee. That was a mistake. Below is how they are stealing my money and stealing the money of others.

August 9th, (about four months in) I sent an email to Real Estate Federal because I had not received any appointments—much less a closed escrow. I was supposed to get 60 appointments. You might say that being four months in, one third of the contract, I should have around 20 appointments, more or less. I tried to read the writing on the wall so, I reached out for refund and they replied on August 9th stating:

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for your email.

We understand you want leads.

As per the terms of the contract, the firm does not offer a refund unless we fail to deliver 60 appointments in a year or if you don’t close at least three transactions from the leads.

We have not forgotten about you and are working on your area.

We will deliver appointments as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Then about one week later, I inquired to Real Estate Federal again because there was apparently a problem with emails. Real Estate Federal wrote

Hello,

We did respond previously.

It appears our emails are going in to your bulk folder.

Please review the terms of your contract for our refund policy.

As per the terms of the contract, the firm does not offer a refund unless we fail to deliver 60 appointments in a year or if you don’t close at least three transactions from the leads.

We have not forgotten about you and are working on your area.

Please note we have been having problems with email and have changed the sending address.

We do have leads which have not yet confirmed as appointments.

As you can see, I tried to cancel in hopes to prevent them from stealing my $3900. Real Estate Federal was stealing my money, and there was nothing I could do. They would not refund. Apparently, I had to wait for eight more months. After writing, calling and texting to Real Estate Federal, they have made no attempt to contact me now.

On April 1st 2018 (approaching the one year mark), I reached out again, and I tried texts and voicemails—nothing. In all aspects of this experience with Real Estate Federal—they are stealing agent's money.

I upheld my side of the contract. I paid $3900, I set up notifications, and I asked for a refund by email prior to my one year contract. Real Estate Federal is in default of our contract. I made a mistake in trusting them. Now, they are stealing my hard earned money and will not give me appointments nor a refund.

I will post updates if I ever hear from them, or I get a refund of my $3900.

Here is a link to the Better Business Bureau page for Real Estate Federal, they have an "F."

Friday, March 2, 2018

Planning to travel on a plane? Traveling within the US even? Then, you better get on board with a REAL ID or else, enjoy your staycation at home. Starting October 1, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security is enforcing this not so new rule that will be in effect. It was born out of the 9/11 attacks, but the logistics has taken some time. If you have not heard of this, you are not alone. Many US citizens are going to feel left in a lurch or worse, stranded because they had no idea.

Okay, so to get started, you and I need to go here. https://goo.gl/rgH1CY (shortend link to DMV REAL ID). The DMV lets us know what to do (bring) in order for them to approve and create a REAL ID. There's more to this than you may think too.

Let's say you are not traveling, but need to visit a federal facility. You will need a REAL ID to gain entry. Unlike California, some states are already REAL ID compliant, they beat California to it by a long shot. They have compliant ID cards to wave around in our face. To see who made the cut already for the REAL ID, go here. https://www.dhs.gov/real-id#1.

Many articles pay much more attention to detail on this issue than mine. Keep in mind, I am a Tri-Valley and Tri-City Real Estate Broker http://www.tricityhome.com and not the greatest writer, but to get to the gist of it--at least visit the DMV link and get started because you can save a fee if you need to renew your license (ID) anyway. Here's one more reason to get it done. Let's say you buy a home, then need to sign the buyer package at the escrow office, the escrow officer/Notary may accept your CA ID, but what if the lender, of all people, adopts the new REAL ID standard and kicks your documents back. That will age you a bit. Wouldn't you agree? When it comes to real estate, I always keep your money top-of-mind as well. I am a frugal man. Just apply for the REAL ID and save a buck.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

The Brookmeadow Park subdivision in Livermore is a good place to buy an investment property in Livermore. It is sandwiched between Autumn Valley and Windmill Springs next to Patterson Pass and N. Mines Road. Brookmeadow Park homes vary greatly in size because they are comprised of basically three builds. There are condominiums, smaller traditional and mid sized up to about 2000 sq ft built by McBail in the late eighties, so Brookmeadow Park investment property can be found in three price ranges. The larger homes are on Erica, Andrea and Mulqueeney. So, if you are looking for a good investment property, you can start in Brookmeadow Park. There are price ranges that can make sense for many investors, and the rents are strong. Exisiting homeowners there can always enjoy home value appreciation even if there are a number of rental properties around. Depreciation really only happens when a subdivision of single family homes and condos are surrounded by high density apartments. This is not the case in Brookmeadow Park.

The Arroyo Secco, "dry stream" in Spanish, is an important Livermore watershed that winds through the subdivision, and it provides space between abutting lots of land where no one can build. There is also an electrical easement there that abuts the tract. Huge lots are created because of the easement that abut the tract, so it looks like a football field in the back yard. There is a large pool off of Marie Common and four tennis courts off of Kimberley Common. All in all, The Brookmeadow Park subdivision is a good place for starting investors as well as the seasoned portfolio holders.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Rancho Arroyo is my more challenging Livermore home routes. I am a real estate broker and property manager, so it makes sense to visit the streets near where I live and remind Livermore homeowners of real-estate-sales-price-trends and that I sell and manage homes here. The rancho-arroyo-livermore-real-estate-sales-price-trends. http://www.tricityhome.com/yourhome has interactive maps and charts updated monthly. The interactivity is not always obvious, so you have to hunt bit. It is a challenging route to walk because in order to visit each home without doubling back, etc. I have to follow a planned route exactly. Believe it or not, one can get turned around a bit and waste time.

The Rancho Arroyo subdivision is full of great neighbors who care about the neighborhood. The Rancho Arroyo-Patterson Pass traffic can be loud at times, and together with the train tracks on the other side of the pass, it can get louder during the ACE Train Vasco Station commute. But, the ACE Train Vasco Station is close by, (click map) so if you need to use the ACE Train, it is very convenient to live in Rancho Arroyo. You can park on both sides of Vasco to get to the Vasco ACE Train Station, but it gets packed fast.

The homes at Rancho Arroyo are mid size ranch style with a square footage near 1200 and 2000 with lots averaging 7000-8000. William Payne Sports Park is on the other side of Patterson Pass where a lot of soccer games are played by lower age groups. There is also a motocross track on real dirt that has high turns and steep jumps. Both Sandia and Livermore Lab employees live in this area as well.

For a more in depth look at the Rancho Arroyo real estate sales trends, just visit the link above.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Joan's Farm in Livermore sold me 635 mini pumpkins, so I could deliver them to my Livermore neighborhoods around me reminding people who I am and what I do. The Livermore minis were inspected, washed and scrubbed (some of them) then set on a cart for delivery.

Ergonomic and motion study experts would have tipped their hat I think when they saw how I braced the pumpkin tub onto my cart to raise the level of pumpkins so as not to force me to bend into a tub over 600 times. Putting a 40 count cluster of minis onto the removable lid allowed even better reach and left a huge reservoir of pumpkins underneath to help me restock the lid whenever I had to deliver 200 or so mini pumpkins in one trip. My routes are all carefully mapped as well so as not to double back or deliver both sides of the street. My 15 years as a UPS driver in Fremont helped with that. I covered all the girl streets in Livermore within the boundaries of Charlotte, Joyce, Bianca and Katrina. So, if you live on Debra, Felicia, Hazel, Carla and the others, you would have by now received a mini pumpkin with my card that says, "It's No Trick, I'll Treat You Right!"

Some of my other ideas were delivering a mini bottle of Tabasco sauce reminding people that the market was hot. I delivered house-shaped sponges early spring (Spring Cleaning), I hand delivered 635 tomato plants in late spring, and I delivered bay leaves in the winter for cooking stew, etc.

My main job I am responsible for as a Livermore-real-estate-agent http://www.tricityhome.com is to find buyers for sellers and sellers for buyers, then a myriad of other things once a real estate purchase contract is signed. I also manage properties in Livermore and other areas.

Wrapping it up, be creative when it comes to reaching out to the public. Dropping off a xerox copy of homes that sold in Livermore is not creative. Make it interesting, and make it fun. They'll remember you.

Friday, August 11, 2017

Home selling in Livermore is in full swing and thoughts of putting your home on the market may have breezed through your mind. Industry experts say this is the ideal time to list your home. If you were considering listing your home in Livermore, you should consult with me ASAP and have a checklist ready – and that checklist is easy as 1, 2, 3.

First, let me provide you with a sales marketing plan http://www.tricityhome.com that includes a pricing strategy that takes into consideration competing homes, current inventory levels and time on market. That plan will also outline the online marketing approach and the initiatives you need to complete as a homeowner to ensure success.

Second, you will need to clean everything! Ensure that your home has optimal curb appeal, particularly as we enter into fall since gardens need a little extra attention. Ensure that lawns are mowed, clutter is removed, trash bins are hidden from view, exterior paint is fresh and no roof tiles are missing. It is also important to make sure your driveway is free of cracks and oil stains. First impressions are important and potential buyers do judge a house by its exterior, so be sure to invest a little time and elbow grease to win over buyers before they even walk through your door.

The inside counts too. Cleanliness is king when it comes to showing your property to prospective buyers. Make sure to clean your windows inside and out, vacuum carpets, mop floors and clear all the dust that accumulates in exhaust fans and lighting fixtures. If deep cleaning is not your forte, you can hire a professional cleaning service to scrub down your home. This may cost a few hundred dollars, but it’s well worth it. I have names of providers that have helped me before.

Equally important is to declutter as minimalist interiors tend to show best. https://youtu.be/EXcIGkO2YJ8 Buyers walk in and try to imagine their ideal or actual furniture in various spaces. There is nothing worse for house hunters than walking into a cluttered space and being so overwhelmed with stuff that they decide against it on the spot. Be sure to minimize extra furniture and objects by renting a small storage space while you are in the process of showing your home. The small cost is worth the large return.

Third, comfort is key. Particularly during the warmer months, so be sure to have your AC running at a comfortable temperature. If your home is not equipped with AC, then make sure the windows are open and fans are running in the extra warm spaces. It is also a good idea to ensure that shutters and blinds are drawn until just before the open house to help keep out the heat.

about me

Jeff Pereyda was born in San Francisco
in the 60's then raised in Sunnyvale during the mid 60's on through
the 80's.

Growing up in the Bay Area and thanks
to his parent's unique hobby of surf fishing, Jeff learned his
long-time passion for surf fishing from his parents who carted him up
and down the coast at an early age hitting California's hot spots.
Jeff recalls one of the most important things he learned from his
mom. “My mom always said, 'you always have to have at least one eye
on the waves.' They're unpredictable at times.” Later, in his
twenties, and after earning a degree in Marketing, Management and
Sales, Jeff went on to study at San Jose Christian College and now
holds a Bachelor's Degree in liberal studies. After returning to the
work force, Jeff later studied to become a California real estate
broker. “Professionally speaking,” Jeff continues, “real estate
is a lot like the surf. The real estate market has its definite
crests and troughs, but it can be unpredictable. You have to always
keep an eye on it too.”

Jeff has earned the International
Diamond Award from Coldwell Banker in 2014 and has been in the top
10% in his office. At present, Jeff continues to provide personal
attention to detail in all his real estate transactions and has been
quite successful in his property management portfolio as well.

During his personal time off, Jeff
enjoys surf fishing and brewing hand crafted beer using his very own
DIY recirculating infusion mash system in the back yard of his custom
Livermore home. Life is good,and if you ask, he'll be happy to share.